| | | | Mike Pence's 2024 campaign is ON | | The New York Times is out with a bombshell story detailing how a) Vice President Mike Pence and his advisers are operating as a sort of de facto political unit within the White House and b) allies of President Donald Trump are none too happy about that fact.
Here's the key paragraph of the piece:
"Republican officials now see Mr. Pence as seeking to exercise expansive control over a political party ostensibly helmed by Mr. Trump, tending to his own allies and interests even when the president's instincts lean in another direction. Even as he laces his public remarks with praise for the president, Mr. Pence and his influential chief of staff, Nick Ayers, are unsettling a group of Mr. Trump's fierce loyalists who fear they are forging a separate power base."
None of this should be all that surprising. Here's why: - Pence, a former House member and governor, is very much a party guy -- and as much as he might shy away from this title now -- an establishment figure. Trump, who has been a Democrat, an independent and now a Republican, ran against and beat that establishment in 2016.
- Pence wants to be president when Trump is done, and that means he is spending at least part of his time as VP accruing chits from other pols for future use. Trump is already president. And he couldn't care less about goodwill with other GOP politicians since most of those people backed someone other than him in 2016.
- Pence has surrounded himself with political/campaign people. Ayers managed former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's 2012 presidential campaign and also served as executive director of the Republican Governors Association. Pence's communications director Jarrod Agen is another campaign veteran, having done work in California and Michigan -- as well as serving as chief of staff to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder. Trump has no such political team in place, largely surrounding himself with longtime friends and a smattering of military generals. Kellyanne Conway, a senior counselor to Trump, is a veteran campaign hand -- and also Pence's former pollster.
Regardless of whether he should have seen it coming, you can bet Trump won't be happy to read the Times piece about Pence or, more accurately, to watch the cable news coverage about it. Trump doesn't like when anyone one-ups him or shows loyalty to anyone or anything but him.
The Point: Politics abhors a vacuum. Trump's lack of ties to the GOP campaign establishment and his seeming disinterest in anyone's politics other than his own create an opening for Pence. The question is whether he can take advantage without seeming like he is taking advantage.
-- Chris | | "Our babysitter is just as integral to our team as my campaign manager."
-Liuba Grechen Shirley, the New York Democratic candidate who became the first woman to get federal approval to use campaign funds for child care after she petitioned the Federal Electoral Commission last month | | | FLOTUS UNDERGOES MEDICAL PROCEDURE | | First lady Melania Trump underwent an embolization procedure to treat a benign kidney condition, the White House said Monday. "The procedure was successful and there were no complications," her communications director, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement on Monday.
"Mrs. Trump is at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and will likely remain there for the duration of the week." She is the first US first lady to undergo such a serious medical procedure while in the White House since Nancy Reagan had a mastectomy in October 1987. Read more in CNN's story by Kate Bennett.
Also on Monday, former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer, according to a statement from Reid's family. Reid, who was first elected to the Senate in 1986, retired at the end of his term in early 2017, when he was Senate minority leader. CNN's Manu Raju has more here. | | 'SPLIT SCREEN MOMENT' IN JERUSALEM | | CNN's Jeremy Diamond reported Monday: "As the deadliest day of clashes between Israelis and Palestinians since the 2014 Gaza War unfolded on Monday, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner addressed a crowd at the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem and said he believes 'peace is within reach.'
"Kushner's remarks at the embassy opening on Monday amounted to his most significant policy speech to date and the jarring split screen on Monday underscored the enormity of the undertaking the President's son-in-law has been tasked with -- and the challenges his efforts have faced so far." Read more from Jeremy here.
On Twitter, many put images of Kushner side-by-side with images of the clashes and protests that erupted at the Israeli-Gaza border. As of Monday afternoon, more than 50 people were killed in Gaza. The White House believes responsibility for the deaths lies "squarely" with Hamas. White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah said Hamas was "provoking" a response from Israeli forces and added, "Israel has a right to defend itself." | | PENCE'S PAC GETS ADDITION | | | CNN's Kaitlan Collins and Rebecca Berg report: "Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski is joining Vice President Mike Pence's political action committee to help with midterm elections, according to a source familiar with the matter. Lewandowski is leaving his position at America First for his new role at the Great America Committee." Read more here. | | If you weren't paying attention to what potential #2020 presidential candidates were up to this weekend, CNN's Caroline Kenny has you covered with this Point update. Here's everything you need to know: - Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro told The Associated Press on Saturday after giving the commencement address at New England College that he'll decide on a White House run after the midterm elections, adding he'll make a decision by the end of the year. After his speech, he appeared at a Nashua, New Hampshire, reception for the Committee to Elect House Democrats.
- Also in New Hampshire this weekend, former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, who was the keynote speaker at the Rockingham County Democrats' Clambake in Portsmouth on Saturday night discussing voter rights. He remained mum about his future plans, but says he's thinking about a 2020 run because of the discussions he's having across the country as he makes stops with his "Let America Vote" organization.
- And wait, there's more! Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti spoke at the Southern New Hampshire University graduation Sunday morning, but remained mum on any feelings toward a run for the White House. This was Garcetti's second trip to the Granite State in the last 10 months, fueling speculation that this is the start of his presidential campaign, but the mayor says "not so fast … It's not the start of a campaign, but I'm definitely concerned about our country."
- Last but not least: Maryland Rep. John Delaney -- the only Democrat to formally announce his 2020 run thus far -- was also in New Hampshire this weekend, where he spoke to Democrats in Manchester. This marked Delaney's eighth trip to the Granite State as a candidate.
| | A WIN FOR SPORTS GAMBLING, COURTESY OF SCOTUS | | CNN's Ariane de Vogue and Maegan Vazquez report: "The Supreme Court cleared the way on Monday for states to legalize sports betting, striking down a 1992 federal law that had prohibited most states from authorizing sports betting.
"The 6-3 ruling is a victory for New Jersey and other states who have considered allowing sports gambling as a way to encourage tourism and tax revenue. The NCAA, NFL and NBA had backed the federal prohibition. The court said the federal law violated constitutional principles limiting the federal government from controlling state policy, unconstitutionally forcing states to prohibit sports betting under their own laws."
Read more here. | | | From Brenna: "Point of the day goes to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. Point your friends and family in our direction by telling them to subscribe." | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Follow this link for daily coverage of the world's top stories, savvy market insights, an insider's look into the media, and more. Our authors for The Point are Chris Cillizza and Saba Hamedy. Send your tips and thoughts via email to Chris or Saba. Follow on Twitter: Chris and Saba. | | | | | | |
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